Other Cultures
Total number of books in this list: 46
Author	Ian Abdulla
Illustrator	Ian Abdulla
Title, subtitle	As I Grew Older the life and times of a Nunga growing up along the River Murray
Number of pages	40 pp
First Published	1993 Norwood, SA by Omnibus Books
Book Type1	Long picture book
Genre	Biography
Reading age	7 to 18
Series
Awards:
Australian Multicultural Literature Award, Picture Book category, Office of Multicultural Affairs, 1994.
Annotation:
The Murray has inspired lots of stories and this one is special because it chronicles a lifestyle, of an Aboriginal family in the 1950s, that many may remember but has not been previously recorded. The author and his family lived off the land on the Murray in South Australia, with the children involved in scraping a living by collecting bottles, bringing sheep heads home from the slaughterhouse and helping trap water rats. The illustrations with the great expanses of sky evoke the space of country Australia and perhaps the perennially blue skies suggest childhood nostalgia. Abdulla portrays a tough life, miles removed from most present-day experience, but one filled with lost riches. Book design and production are outstanding.
Themes in this book:
Aboriginal peoples-social life and customs. Australia-history 1945-1965. Children. Murray River. South Australia.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Omnibus Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   186 2911 83 5
Author	Magrit Adam
Illustrator	Elise Hurst
Title, subtitle	Ellie and Tess and the Lost Letter
Number of pages	171 pp
First Published	2005 Camberwell, Vic by Penguin Group (Australia)
Book Type1	Illustrated story
Book Type2	Young novel
Genre	Family
Reading age	6 to 9
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
A charming book, and although apologies should be made for such a creaking cliche, it is likely most who read it, or have it read to them, will agree. Ellie and Tess are young Chinese twin sisters adopted as babies by Australian parents. The various postings of their father ensures a wonderfully exotic international life but the book opens with them at their Australian country home at Dixon's Crossing all set for 'great adventures'. The girls are energetic, creative and joyful. Everything is fun and full of possibilities. They are messy, wild and sometimes a bit silly. They move easily between their two cultures and are unfazed by anyone who is uppity. The lost letter of the title is a small problem in an otherwise happy time of visitors, play and parties. Good readers of eight years and up might be able to read this book independently—otherwise Ellie and Tess and the Lost Letter is an ideal illustrated chapter book to read aloud to children as young as four years.
Themes in this book:
Adoption. Chinese in Australia. Country life. Friendship-interracial. Girls. Happiness. Letter writing. Play. Twins. Visiting.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Puffin Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 330173 X
Author	Sarona Aiono-Iosefa
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	White Sunday in Samoa
Number of pages	16 pp
First Published	2003 Wellington, NZ by Learning Media
Book Type1	Illustrated story
Genre	Family.
Reading age	5 to 7
Series	Ready to Read
Awards:
Annotation:
This book follows Tafu, a small Samoan boy, as his family prepare him for White Sunday. This is the second Sunday in October, when the children are honoured at church. Mum buys Tafu new clothes, all of them white. Tafu learns his Bible verse, the church is decorated and Uncle Fili prepares the food for the umu (earth oven). On Sunday all the children are wearing white clothes and pale (head-dresses) of ferns, as they parade into church. Tafu recites his Bible verse loudly! At lunch, the children are fed first. Afterwards Tafu sleeps. Jill MacGregor’s colour photos capture the intimacy of the family preparations and the tension of this important Samoan celebration. Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Christianity. Festivals. Samoa.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Learning Media Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 478 27498 X
Author	Sarona Aiono-Iosefa
Illustrator	Steven Dunn
Title, subtitle	Two Cans of Corned Beef and a Manulele in a Mango Tree: a Pacific Christmas
Number of pages	30 pp
First Published	2004 Auckland, NZ by Reed
Book Type1	Songbook
Book Type2	Picture book
Genre	Songs and chants.
Reading age	8 to 18
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
This cheerful (and sing-able) book provides a Pacific variant of the beloved Christmas song. Sarona Aiono-Iosefa, a Samoan New Zealander, provides some Polynesian elements to the traditional Christmas mix of gifts, first outlined in ‘A Partridge in a Pear Tree’. Her Pacific version begins with a manulele in a mango tree, followed by two cans of corned beef, three frangipanis, four rolls of tapa and five pairs of jandals. Steven Dunn’s coloured wood-block illustrations are magnificent, particularly those showing people’s activities. The ‘nine hats a-hiding’ are seen providing their owners with cover at an Islands church service, while the eight chiefs a-chatting, seven women weaving and ten hula dancers are all full of life. No glossary is provided, although the illustrations leave readers in no doubt about what the six lavalava are, or what the seven women are weaving. Glossary: Corned beef - important element of modern Pacific Islands diet Frangipani - scented flower Jandals - popular light footwear in NZ and Pacific (Ja-panese sa-ndals); flip-flops. Lavalava - colourful cotton skirt, from Samoa Mango - sweet, juicy tropical fruit Manulele - flying bird Tapa - traditional cloth, made from mulberry bark Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Christmas. Festivals. Pacific Islands. Samoa.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Reed Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 86948 511 4
Author	James Aldridge
Illustrator	Julie Stiles
Title, subtitle	The Marvellous Mongolian
Number of pages	136 pp
First Published	1974 London by Macmillan
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Letters
Reading age	11 to 14
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Letters exchanged between Baryut, a Mongolian boy, and Kitty, a Welsh girl, describe the extraordinary adventures of Tachi, a rare Przewalski's Horse, and a companion, Kitty, a shetland, as they travel Europe to get home to Mongolia.
Themes in this book:
Friendship-interracial. Horses. Mongolia. Persistence. Rare animals.
Author	James Aldridge
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Girl from the Sea
Number of pages	208 pp
First Published	2002 Camberwell, Vic by Penguin Books Australia
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Family.
Reading age	12 to 18
Series
Awards:
2003 Shortlist - Australian Children's Book of the Year (Older Readers) 2003 Shortlist - NSW Premier's Award (Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature)
Annotation:
The opening lines will remind fans of Aldridge's St. Helen books, 'I'm not sure how I can tell the real story of the Provençal girl I knew as Lelèe, back in the 1950s'. Others, new to his writing, may feel like a fly enticed into a storyteller's web and struggle briefly with 'samite thing' and 'Villefranche-sur-mer' in the first paragraph before succumbing to this dazzling story of undersea treasure, boats, diving, food, danger and summertime freedom. Beau and his sister Fanny have been sent to stay with Aunt Mimi, a wealthy widow with a cliff-top house, in the hope that Beau might recover from an accident. He was struck by a tidal wave in Cornwall while he and his father, an expert in explosives, watched a sea-trench being dug. This is an initial instance of exotica in a novel packed end to end with events and actions outside most children's direct experience, but which are sure to attract. Like J. K. Rowling or Margaret Mahy, Aldridge writes with the presumption his audience are intelligent and keen to learn. Lelèe, the girl from the sea, is a remarkable character, strong but vulnerable to social and cultural imperatives. Who can say what young readers will take from this book—maybe they will dream of running away to Europe and buying a Vespa or simply enjoy the suspense and adventure—but none who read it will forget it quickly. Readers who enjoy this book may also find The Greengage Summer worth a look...
Themes in this book:
Aunts, uncles, cousins. Exceptional children. Friendship-girls and boys. France. Holidays. Reading. Sick persons. Treasure. Underwater exploration.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Penguin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 300112 4
Author	Petro Alexiou
Illustrator	Maria Tunis
Title, subtitle	From the Land of Ikaros
Number of pages	29 pp
First Published	1989 Sydney by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Book Type1	Long picture book
Genre	Family
Reading age	8 to 11
Series	Spectrum
Awards:
Annotation:
Yaya tells Kosmas stories about Greece, including the story of Ikaros, and also tales about herself as a young girl in Greece and later in Australia as a working girl.
Themes in this book:
Grandmothers. Greeks in Australia. Storytelling.
Author	Aliki
Illustrator	Aliki
Title, subtitle	Marianthe's Story
Number of pages	64 pp
First Published	1998 New York by Greenwillow
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Family
Reading age	8 to 12
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Marianthe, her parents, and her younger twin brothers have emigrated to the United States. In part one Marianthe attends school where she faces the challenges of learning to speak English and adopt to a culture very unlike her own. A very supportive teacher encourages her to communicate through her drawings. In Part two, Marianthe has learnt English and is able to tell the class the story of her life before the family came to the United States.
Themes in this book:
Cultural diversity. Family life. Friendship. Genealogy. Greece. Immigration and emigration. Lifestyles, comparative. Moving house. Schools and students. United States-20th century.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Greenwillow Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   0 688 15661 4
Author	Deborah Carlyon
Illustrator	John Danalis
Title, subtitle	Loku and the Shark Attack
Number of pages	62 pp
First Published	2006 St Lucia, Qld by University of Queensland Press
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Adventure
Reading age	8 to 11
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Loku is a 'Responsible Boy', just like Lapun Papa (grandfather) when he was young says Loku's easygoing twin brother, Nul. Loku resents that his hard work is taken for granted and the straight jacket of 'responsibility' so he determines to have an adventure of his own. Unfortunately he chooses to light a fire which burns out of control and the punishment for his recklessness might result in harm to his tribe's totem and in his death. A short, rich story about a boy's sudden growth to manhood that reads like a modernised cautionary tale illustrated with dramatic stylized black and white drawings.
Themes in this book:
Adventure and adventurers. Boys. Courage. Heroes and heroines. Papua New Guinea. Self-perception. Sharks. Twins.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   UQP Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 7022 3549 0
Author	Wendy Catran
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Swap
Number of pages	205 pp
First Published	2004 Melbourne by Lothian
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Family.Historical
Reading age	10 to 14
Series
Awards:
2005 Shortlist - Esther Glen Award
Annotation:
In the 1950s Maree is a New Zealand teenager, whose brother Alan is serving in the Commonwealth Forces in the Korean War. Alan falls in love with a Japanese girl, Keiko, and brings her home as his wife. Sakura is a Japanese girl living with her family in Tonga, where her father is a fisherman. In December 1941, with Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, all Japanese living on Tonga are interned in New Zealand. Separated from the men, the Japanese women and children (List B Aliens) have to live in a house in the country at Pokeno, with Miss Smith, a police-woman, in charge. They are not ill-treated but they are unused to the damp climate and strange food, and are forbidden to communicate with other people. The two girls’ stories are told in alternate chapters, with some links developing. Maree had glimpsed Sakura for a few minutes during the war years and was intrigued by her. Keiko faces the challenge of loneliness and adjusting to New Zealand life, and she also poses problems for Maree’s uncle who fought in the Pacific and had friends who suffered in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. Sakura, unhappy about her parents being separated, writes to the Prime Minister and the families have a brief poignant meeting at the main alien internment camp on Somes Island in Wellington Harbour. An attempt to repatriate the Japanese families ends in tragedy but the links between Sakura and Keiko give Maree, Keiko and Alan some hope for future happiness Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Auckland region, NZ. Cultural diversity. Japanese in New Zealand. New Zealand-history. Tonga. War-social aspects. World War 1939-45.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Lothian Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 7344 0654 1
Author	Diana Chase
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	No More Borders for Josef
Number of pages	253 pp
First Published	2006 Fremantle, WA by Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	War
Reading age	12 to 16
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Josef is orphaned in the Bosnian war and flees to the border with the remnants of his slaughtered village. He joins the many thousands displaced when he sent to his only remaining relative, an uncle who is a farmer in Western Australia. Here he has to deal with his grief and adjust to a country so different to his own. he finds peace and purpose helping care for animals at a wildlife refuge. The novel is divided into two major sections. The first, 'The Balkans' is fairly brief even though it covers a longer time than 'Australia', perhaps reflecting the grief and otherworldly state Josef finds himself in. It is to these experiences and the sights and smells of his village in happier times that he returns for comfort when confronted with the oddities of Australia. However he is a survivor. More courageous than his new friend Danny, another refugee, and more sensible than troublemaker Gavosic. It is their prickley relationship that results in the death of an injured wallaby, a horrible parallel with Josef's experiences in the refugee camp, but which leads on to healing for all. An uneven novel, but touching and believable.
Themes in this book:
Animals-treatment. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Bosnia-Herzegovina. Boys. Death-family. Escapes. Orphans and orphanages. Refugees. War victims. Western Australia.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   FACP Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 92106 437 4
Author	Clodagh Corcoran and Margot Tyrrell
Illustrator	Bill Farr
Title, subtitle	Goodbye and Hello sixteen compelling stories about leaving and arriving
Number of pages	229 pp
First Published	1992 Ringwood, Vic by Penguin Books Australia
Book Type1	Short stories
Genre
Reading age	11 to 16
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Sixteen stories by Irish and Australian writers all centred on the theme of leaving and arriving.Corcoran is an Irish writer.
Themes in this book:
Change. Ireland. rish in Australia. Memory. Moving house.
Author	Bryce Courtenay
Illustrator	Unillustrated
Title, subtitle	The Power of One young readers' edition
Number of pages	343 pp
First Published	1999 Ringwood, Vic by Penguin Books Australia
Book Type1	Sele
Genre	Biography
Reading age	10 to 18
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Peekay, a child living in South Africa in the 1930s, is determined to be a world champion boxer. The popular novel for adult readers condensed by Barbara Ker Wilson for a younger readership.
Themes in this book:
Ambition. Boxing. Boys. Confidence. South Africa. Success.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Puffin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 130489 8
Author	Sharon Creech
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Bloomability
Number of pages	213 pp
First Published	1998 New York by Joanna Cottter - HarperCollins
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Family. School.
Reading age	11 to 14
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Dinnie’s dysfunctional family hits rock bottom when Dinnie’s sixteen-year-old older sister gives birth, her brother is in jail, her father away from home looking for one more opportunity. Dinnie’s aunt and uncle step in and take her with them to the American school in Switzerland where Uncle Max has just been appointed headmaster. Dinnie is homesick, lacking in confidence and is behind in many subjects, but so are some of the international students she now mixes with. At the end of her first year she has bloomed. She is on her way home for the summer holidays knowing that if she wishes to continue with her ‘opportunity’ her aunt and uncle will welcome her back. A lightweight, feel good Creech enjoyable for the scenery and travelogue.
Themes in this book:
Aunts, uncles, cousins. Family relations. Friendship. Mentors. Schools and students. Switzerland. Teachers.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Macmillan Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 330 39784 2
Author	Nance Donkin
Illustrator	Lynn Sikiotis
Title, subtitle	A Family Affair
Number of pages	56 pp
First Published	1988 Gosford, NSW by Martin Educational; Ashton Scholastic
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Family
Reading age	8 to 12
Series	Bookshelf
Awards:
Annotation:
One day Baba announces to his shocked family that they are going back to Greece. No one wants to go and Mama refuses to give her lottery winnings to finance Baba's relative's proposed hotel. A visit to the island proves to be a liberating experience for everyone.
Themes in this book:
Assertiveness. Bullying. Conflict. Greece. Greeks in Australia.
Author	Yvonne Edwards
Illustrator	Sue McGovern
Title, subtitle	Going for Kalta hunting for sleepy lizards at Yalata
Number of pages	29 pp
First Published	1997 Alice Springs, NT by IAD Press
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Information
Reading age	4 to 10
Series
Awards:
1999 Winner - CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books 1998 Primary single book, Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing, The Australian
Annotation:
Told in the present tense, we join a group of adults and children as they hunt and cook kalta, lizard, at Yalata in south-western South Australia. Pitjantjatjara words are used in the text but in a self-explanatory way. Includes a page of information about the lizard's habits and breeding.Illustrated with coloured photographs by Sue McGovern and line drawings by Yvonne Edwards. Co-author Brenda Day.
Themes in this book:
Aboriginal Peoples. Cooks and cookery. Food. Hunting. Lizards. South Australia.
Author	Deborah Ellis
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Shauzia
Number of pages	156 pp
First Published	2003 Toronto, Canada by Groundwood Books
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Realistic.
Reading age	10 to 14
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Shauzia dreams of herself and her dog Jasper sitting in a field of lavender in France just like the magazine picture she has carried for years. In reality she is in the Widows' Compound just outside Peshwar in Pakistan. Dusty, hot, unwanted, the refugees, constantly rallied by Mrs Weera, are losing hope. Shauzia driven by her dream of France, and her irritation at Mrs Weera’s bossiness, decides to try her luck in Peshwar. It’s a disaster. Shauzia experiences even more cruelty and veniality than she thought possible; her life is saved only by Jasper’s unswerving loyalty and by the good intentions of an American expatriate couple. When their good will runs out Shauzia finds herself back in the camp again where Mrs Weera is about to lead a group of women back into Afghanistan to nurse the expected casualties of an American lead invasion against the Taliban. Published in Canada as Mud City
Themes in this book:
Afghanistan. Courage. Desire. Dogs. Girls. Homelessness. Pakistan. Poverty. Refugees. Survival.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Allen & Unwin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 74114 284 9
Author	Nancy Farmer
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Do You Know Me
Number of pages	112 pp
First Published	1993 New York by Orchard US
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Family. Humour.
Reading age	8 to 11
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Tapiwa's Uncle Seka comes to live with them in their suburban house in Harare, Zimbabwe after he was driven by bandits from his traditional village home in Mozambique. Now he has nothing to his name except the very old clothes he stands in. His efforts to contribute to the family's income end in one disaster after another. But from him Tapiwa learns the importance of self-respect and self-reliance.
Themes in this book:
Aunts, uncles, cousins. Cultural diversity. Mozambique. Self-perception. Zimbabwe.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Orion Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   1 85881 148 1 Publisher:   Dolphin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 85881 348 4
Author	Archimede Fusillo
Illustrator	Sally Mitrevska
Title, subtitle	Memories of Sunday Cricket in the Street
Number of pages	24 pp
First Published	1987 Melbourne by Macmillan
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Biography
Reading age	9 to 11
Series	Southern Cross
Awards:
Annotation:
Pasquale finds Sundays tough going. He has to dress up and go to church with his mother and sister, be seen by his friends, and endure a lunch of lasagne. Then in the afternoon he puts a cricket ball right through a neighbour's window.
Themes in this book:
City children. Community life. Cricket. Italians in Australia.
Author	Libby Hathorn
Illustrator	Elizabeth Stanley
Title, subtitle	The Wishing Cupboard
Number of pages	32 pp
First Published	2002 South Melbourne, Vic by Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Family.
Reading age	5 to 10
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Tran very much misses his mother who has gone back to Vietnam to bring back his young cousin. To help him Grandma shows him a special cupboard with many doors and tiny alcoves—a wishing cupboard where one can put objects and make a wish. Looking at all the objects and with commentary from Grandma, much of the family history is revealed. Of course Tran then makes his own special wish for him and Grandma, both longing for relatives in Vietnam. Stanley's naturistic illustrations reflect the quiet solemnity of the tale. A peaceful, gentle book about family ties. Teachers’ notes for this title are available at the Lothian Books website (follow the link) - Lothian Books
Themes in this book:
Furniture. Genealogy. Immigration and emigration. Intergenerational relations. Separation. Vietnam. Wishes.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Lothian Books Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   0 7344 0358 5
Author	Geoff Havel
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Grave of the Roti Men
Number of pages	107 pp
First Published	2003 South Fremantle, WA by Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Adventure
Reading age	10 to 13
Series
Awards:
2003 - Shortlist WA Premier's Literary Award (Young Adult Award)
Annotation:
The sea near their island is the grave of the Roti men, drowned in storms. Aaron is fascinated by the Indonesian island he travels to to stay with his aid worker father. In time he comes to understand the difficulties of the people and experiences one of the cyclones that have such an impact on their lives when he stows away with a poor fisherman. Due chiefly to his disappearance the boat is picked up fishing illegally by the Australian coastguard and the fishermen lose their boat. A short, easy-to-read novel about a part of the world that few Australians have direct knowledge of but which we, apparently have some effect on. There are some pointed comments about the justice of the situation. Teachers' notes are available at Grave of the Roti Men
Themes in this book:
Cyclones. Fathers. Fishing. Holidays. Indonesia. Justice. Lifestyles, comparative. Parent and child. Poverty.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   FACP Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 86368 292 9
Author	Rosanne Hawke
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Soraya the Storyteller
Number of pages	175 pp
First Published	2004 South Melbourne, Vic by Lothian Books
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Realistic
Reading age	10 to 14
Series	Takeaways
Awards:
2005 Shortlist - CBC Book of the Year Younger Readers
Annotation:
Cautiously settling into her new Australian school Soraya overcomes her fears, past and present, through the medium of storytelling. There is the story told each night at bedtime by her adopted grandmother, and the story Soraya is writing at school in the ESL class. The night-time stories connect back to her father who first introduced her to stories from the Arabian Nights, and now that Khala is telling her the same stories Soraya revisits not only the story but times with Padar—and without him after he was taken away by the Taliban. Gradually Soraya’s life story slips out; the deaths of her sister, and one of her brothers unsuccessfully trying to prevent his twin from forced enlistment in the Taliban army; her father’s imprisonment and death; the extinction of happiness inside her mother; the remaining family's flight from Afghanistan to Indonesia; the time in a small unseaworthy boat, saved by the Australian Navy only to be placed in detention. Throughout all this Soraya dreams of rescue from terror by the ebony horse that features in one of the tales from the Arabian Nights. The full story is contained in collections by Leeson My Sister Shahrazad and McCaughrean One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Told in the first person the tale has the immediacy and simplicity of events as seen from the viewpoint of a young child in an alien culture. It calls for a considered and compassionate response from the reader. Follow the links for teachers' notes which are available at the Lothian Books website.
Themes in this book:
Afghanistan. Afghans in Australia. Detention centres. Families. Girls. Persecution. Refugees. Schools and students. Storytelling.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Lothian Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 7344 0709 2
Author	Frances Hawker
Illustrator	Bruce Campbell
Title, subtitle	Children of the Meo Hill Tribes
Number of pages	28 pp
First Published	1981 Milton, Qld by Jacaranda Press
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Biography
Reading age	5 to 10
Series	Kids in Other Countries
Awards:
Annotation:
The life and activities of children living in the hills of northern Thailand. A focus here on the sewing done by the women and girls.
Themes in this book:
Children. Family life. Sewing. Thailand.
Author	John Heffernan
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	More Than Gold
Number of pages	175 pp
First Published	2000 Hunters Hill, NSW by Margaret Hamilton Books
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Sport
Reading age	9 to 13
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Raiko and his mother Jehona come to Australia as refugees from the war in Bosnia. Raiko's father has been taken away with other men from the village but still Raiko writes to him and feels his inspirational presence when he is running. Despite this sad background much of this tale of Raiko's experience of living in a small country town—trained by his best friend Jay a Koori boy, Dr Jones his mother's employer and Mr Mac the soccer coach—is full of joy and much slapstick humour provoked by the contrast between Jay and Raiko. This is a moving story of a boy with great strength of character and is a positive picture of country Australia and the opportunities Australia offers to all.
Themes in this book:
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Country life. Death-family. Friendship-interracial. Joy and sorrow. Missing. Olympic Games. Refugees. Running. Social integration.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Margaret Hamilton Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 876289 47 3
Author	Sally Heinrich
Illustrator	Sally Heinrich
Title, subtitle	The Most Beautiful Lantern
Number of pages	40 pp
First Published	2007 Sydney by Hachette Livre Australia
Book Type1	Long picture book
Genre	Family
Reading age	6 to 10
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
It is time for the mid-Autumn festival, Zhong Qiu Jie, a type of harvest celebration when people parade in the street with colourful lanterns and eat mooncakes. Mei-Ling’s school is hosting the Grand Lantern Parade and she wants to find the most beautiful lantern. As she searches and reflects she is told stories asssociated with the festival but the best story is about her own grandmother, now dead, whose wedding day lantern has been preserved by Grandfather. Mei-Ling knows her search is over. A treasure of a picture book with considerable text and beautifully detailed illustrations that will encourage readers to examine and choose their own ‘most beautiful’ lantern.
Themes in this book:
Autumn. China. Decision making. Festivals. Intergenerational relations. Light. Moon. Myths, Chinese. Storytelling. Valuables.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Lothian Books Binding:   Hard back ISBN:
Author	Olive Hill
Illustrator	Photographs by various photographers
Title, subtitle	Gaijin Foreign Children in Japan
Number of pages	93 pp
First Published	1986 Auckland, NZ by Longman Paul
Genre	Information.
Reading age	8 to 18
Series
Awards:
1987 Winner - LIANZA Young People's Nonfiction Award
Annotation:
When the Hill family spent a year in Kyoto, their two young children found themselves learning more than they expected. In this clear and fresh account, Olive (8) and Ngaio (7) give a picture of Japanese life seen through the eyes of children. They describe city life, traffic, houses, customs, farms, shopping, forests and life at school. ‘Gaijin’ is the Japanese word for foreigner. Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Japan.
Author	Minfong Ho
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Stone Goddess
Number of pages	102 pp
First Published	2003 New York by Orchard Books
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Realistic
Reading age	11 to 15
Series	First Person Fiction
Awards:
2004 Kiriyama Notable Fiction
Annotation:
The Khmer Rouge take control of Cambodia and Nakri’s life is changed forever. Forced out of their home in Phnom Penh, the family move in with their maternal grandparents in a small village. Even there they are in danger; Nakri’s father must not wear his glasses as they make him look like the teacher he is—it doesn’t matter, he is taken away for ‘re-education’—her sister Teeda must not dance and reveal her years of training as a palace dancer. The family is split even more when the young and fit are taken to build new rice paddies. The four years they are in a forced labour camp take a terrible toll. Teeda catches malaria and is in a fevered state; seen by the hut ‘supervisor’ she is saved from a brutal end by dying in her sleep. Nakri’s brother Boran is almost killed when discovered stealing food to keep Nakri alive. And then, suddenly, the Khmer Rouge are gone. Vietnamese soldiers have invaded. Nakri, Boran their mother and young brother escape into Thailand and the refugee camps there before being sponsored to the USA and a completely alien life. Throughout, the image of Teeda dancing the Aspara (mythical creatures who danced their way through the chaos of creation to heaven) is a connection to family and Cambodian culture.
Themes in this book:
Brothers and sisters. Cambodia. Courage. Cruelty. Dancing and dances. Despotism. Family. Fear. Girls. Grief. Lifestyles, Comparative. Murder. Refugees. Selflessness. Survival. United States.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Scholastic Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 439 38198 3
Author	Jane Jolly
Illustrator	Elise Hurst
Title, subtitle	Ali the Bold Heart
Number of pages	28 pp
First Published	2006 Balmain, NSW by Limelight Press Pty Ltd
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Realistic
Reading age	7 to 12
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Based on the true story of an Iranian refugee who fled his country only to end up in a remote Australian detention centre. His only belongings are the tools of his trade carried in a large bag—Ali is a magician! While he brings moments of joy to the other inmates of the centre he himself is slowly losing heart and the morning after a giant sandstorm he is simply not there. The author has said the ending is open-ended so as to leave hope. It may, in fact, be confusing. But there is no doubting the immense sadness of the tale and the beauty of the moments when imagination flies. Hurst's illustrations move from shades of blue to a hot desert red, only his fellow detainees retaining their homeland colour in their dress. The wire as sharp as tiger's teeth is an impression in the background until the night of the great sandstorm when its overwhelming presence dominates the penultimate pages.
Themes in this book:
Detention centres. Entertainers. Magic. Iran. Refugees.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Limelight Press Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   0 9757080 8 2
Author	Carol Jones 2
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Lake of the Lost
Number of pages	160 pp
First Published	2004 South Melbourne, Vic by Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Adventure.Family
Reading age	8 to 12
Series	Takeaways
Awards:
Annotation:
An exotic Pacific island adventure with modern sensibilities. Kimmi and her older brother Ollie are reluctant companions to their forever travelling naturalist parents. Despite the remote and exciting locations both would rather stay in the one place and establish relationships at home and school. Kimmi is a lonely girl partly due to her preference for nature documentaries and other such things over fashion or gossip. She pretends to have a school friend, Mikki, to whom she writes letters, even in the thick of adventures! Ollie thinks Kimmi is weird and it does seem she has unusual abilities when she starts to hear messages from someone on the very remote island where they are camped. The communications help save Ollie from a trap and both see a small hair-covered man or boy, legend of the lost tribe of Hiti come to life. Both children make a decision about declaring their discovery that might remind readers of Chauncy's classic Australian story, Tiger in the Bush.
Themes in this book:
Brothers and sisters. Empathy. Exceptional children. Humankind. Imaginary friends. Secrets. Solomon Islands. Supernormal abilities.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Lothian Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 7344 0646 0
Author	Elizabeth Laird
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Garbage King
Number of pages	329 pp
First Published	2003 London by Macmillan
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Realistic.
Reading age	10 to 14
Series
Awards:
2004 Shortlist - Carnegie Medal
Annotation:
Mamo, unschooled beyond Grade 2, is, with his sister Tiggist, facing a bleak future after their mother’s death. So when he finds a man searching through their shack, and the man claims to be his uncle, Mamo believes his promise of work and goes with him. It is work, but as an unpaid farm worker. Sold to a brutal man, persecuted by his son, Mamo’s life is even worse than on the streets of Addis Ababa. After a near death experience the boy runs away and returns to the city, only to find his sister has gone away with her employer for an unspecified time. In a parallel story Dani, fat, spoilt, scorned by his peers at school, runs away from his tryannical father and wealthy lifestyle. The two boys meet, join a street gang for survival, and begin a life-searing experience. Hunger drives them, inter-gang relationships define their world. Laird writes from her own knowledge of the area and the experience of street kids she has befriended on her many trips to Adis Ababar. Ultimately an optimistic book it is still a powerful view of a world unknown to most readers.
Themes in this book:
Boys. Brothers and sisters. Child abuse. Death. Ethiopia. Fathers. Gangs, Homelessness. Hunger. Lifestyles, Comparative. Runaways. Slavery.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Pan Macmillan Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 330 41502 6
Author	Richard Lewis
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Flame Tree
Number of pages	276 pp
First Published	2004 New York by Simon & Schuster
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Adventure. Realistic.
Reading age	11 to 14
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Isaac, the son of American Baptist missionaries working as doctors in a small town in Indonesia, can speak Javanese, has learned a little of the culture of the people he lives amongst, and has made friends with a local boy, Ismail. (The Biblical reference is intentional: Isaac, son of Abraham and his wife Sarah, is one of the Biblical patriarchs; Ismail, the son of Abraham and his slave Hagar, is the son through whom Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham.) But militant Muslims are moving into their town; many of the out-of-work men vulnerable to their radical preachings. Tensions rise—exacerbated by the news of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre—culminating in an attack on the American hospital and school compound. The marines arrive but the helicopter in which Isaac is being airlifted out, crashes, and Isaac falls into the hands of radical Muslims. What follows is a combination of exploration of faith and straight out fear as Isaac is pressured to convert, including his brutal circumcision at the hands of an extreme group within the Muslim community. His release is a direct result of the intervention of a religious leader who refuses to allow the boy to be bullied into changing his religion. A thoughtful and timely read.
Themes in this book:
Boys. Conflict. Ethics. Faith. Fear. Friendship. Hospitals. Indonesia. Islam. Mentors. Parent and child. Prejudices. Prisons and prisoners. Religion. Riots. Schools and schooling.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Simon & Schuster Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 689 86052 8
Author	Cunxin Li
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Mao's Last Dancer young readers' edition
Number of pages	329 pp
First Published	2005 Camberwell, Vic by Penguin Group (Australia)
Genre	Biography
Reading age	10 to 18
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
A condensed version of the 2003 bestselling autobiography by ballet dancer Li Cunxin who was born the sixth of seven sons in a Chinese peasant family in Quingdao, Shandong Province. His future as a hardworking, often hungry, poorly educated peasant was changed by a seeming miracle—he was chosen to train as a dancer in Madame Mao's ballet school in Beijing. As a young man came a second great opportunity; to travel to the United States on a scholarship to the Houston Ballet. This is a story of incredible economic deprivation which gives a first hand insight into life for everyday Chinese during the difficult times of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Li writes movingly about the only thing the family had in abundance, love and support for each other. The contrast between his life as a boy and the world he sees in the United States underlines the adaptability of people. Li's persistence, his survival skills and willingness to grasp every opportunity are uppermost. There is an endnote about China's history by Barbara Ker Wilson, a history timeline, 8 pages of photographs and a map.
Themes in this book:
Ambition. Ballet. Boys. China. Chinese in United States. Escapes. Politics. Poverty. Survival. United States-late 20th century.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Puffin Books Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 330164 0 Publisher:   Bolinda Audio Books Binding:   Audio book ISBN:   1 741 63524 1
Author	Liz Lofthouse
Illustrator	Robert Ingpen
Title, subtitle	Ziba Came on a Boat
Number of pages	32 pp
First Published	2007 Camberwell, Vic by Penguin Group (Australia)
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Historical
Reading age	4 to 11
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
A lyrical tale of a young girl’s thoughts of home as she and other refugees from Afghanistan sail ‘across an endless sea’ (and perhaps towards Australia?). The water and wind remind young Ziba of cool mountain air and collecting water from a stream back in Afghanistan, smells of food remind her of helping in the kitchen, the lurching of their boat of her mother weaving. She remembers her father, but he is not on the boat. Reference is made to her not being able to go to school. As the boat approaches land Ziba dreams of the warm welcome ahead. This might be read as ironical by older readers but for the younger reader it will seem logical. Ingpen’s illustrations enhance the poetical tone of the text. Even those of the ship in a stormy sea evoke calm. With so much room for intrepretation this picture book will suit a wide age range.
Themes in this book:
Afghanistan. Afghans in Australia. Boats and ships. Children. Home. Hope. Memory. Refugees. Voyages and travels.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Viking Binding:   Hard back ISBN:
Author	Lois Lowry
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Number the Stars
Number of pages	144 pp
First Published	1989 Boston by Houghton Mifflin
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Historical
Reading age	10 to 14
Series
Awards:
Winner Newbery Award 1990
Annotation:
The affirming story of how the Danes rescued their Jewish population during the Nazi occupation of their country in World War II is personalised and rendered in story form by this experienced American author. Annemarie and her family help their Jewish neighbours escape to neutral Sweden at great risk to themselves.
Themes in this book:
Denmark. Evacuees. Friendship. Girls. Jews. Persecution. Rescues. World War, 1939-1945
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Harpercollins Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 00 673677 7
Author	Carolyn Marsden
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Silk Umbrellas
Number of pages	134 pp
First Published	2004 Cambridge, Mass. USA by Candlewick Press
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Realistic.
Reading age	9 to 12
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Noi’s family has changed dramatically since the landowner from whom they rented their farm sold it off for holiday cottages. Now they rely on piecework and there is never enough money. Noi’s sister is sent to a sweatshop making cheap radios and Noi lives in fear of the same happening to her. At the same time Grandma has taken to her bed no longer producing the beautifully patterned silk umbrellas that she sells in town. Is Noi a good enough artist to take over Grandma’s work? A gently told story that is deceptive in its simplicity.
Themes in this book:
Artists. Family. Girls. Grandmothers. Lifestyles, Comparative. Self perception. Thailand.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Candlewick Press Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   0 7636 2257 5
Author	Sophie Masson
Illustrator	Caroline Magerl
Title, subtitle	Small World
Number of pages	124 pp
First Published	1999 Sydney by Hodder Headline Australia
Book Type1	Short stories
Genre	Realistic
Reading age	9 to 13
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Set in a small French village and the title can be read in several ways. Yes, it is a small world, a place concerned with its own affairs, but it is also a place representative of the wider world because of the surprising number of nationalities that dwell there. There is Maria Gomez from Portugal, Mohammed Boudia from Algeria and Meredith and Martin McNeil, two children from Australia who come to stay for a year. In five short stories we see the intricate relationships established or being established between characters, how small changes require further renegotiations and share in the pleasure of the village inhabitants when things turn out well.
Themes in this book:
Children. Community life. Cultural diversity. Food. France. Performers. Treasure.
Author	Sophie Masson
Illustrator	Anne Spudvilas
Title, subtitle	Winter in France
Number of pages	142 pp
First Published	1994 Port Melbourne, Vic by Reed Books Australia
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Family
Reading age	9 to 14
Series	Seyrac family
Awards:
Annotation:
The Seyrac's are in France for Christmas, staying with Grandmre, Papa's mother, who has a beautiful old home full of lovely things in a small village. Theme of the importance of family over possessions and how one can still retain memories of former homes when circumstances force change. Third in an unnamed series about the Seyrac family.
Themes in this book:
Aunts, uncles, cousins. Christmas. France. Houses. Grandparents. Immigration and emigration. Memory.
Author	Wendy Orr
Illustrator	Donna Rawlins
Title, subtitle	Across the Dark Sea
Number of pages	72 pp
First Published	2006 Canberra, ACT by National Museum of Australia Press
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Family.Historical
Reading age	7 to 12
Series	Making Tracks
Awards:
Annotation:
The stories in the Making Tracks series highlight aspects of Australia's past, each one inspired by an object—by what often seems to be a tenuous link— held as part of the collection of the National Museum of Australia. Separated from his mother and sister in the crush to get onto the boat before the authorities seize them, Trung and his father (Ba) spend months on a small overcrowded unseaworthy boat on which food and water quickly run out and pirates ransack it. Arrival in Australia is not as wonderful as expected and when they eventually leave the detention camp to make a life in Melbourne, Ba cannot work as a doctor and the children at Trung's school are unwelcoming. Always there is the worry of whether mother and sister are safe. The object from the museum that inspired the story is the fishing boat Hong Hai that arrive din Darwin in 1978.
Themes in this book:
Australia-history 1965-1985. Boys. Bullying. Families. Immigration and emigration. Melbourne, Vic. Vietnam. Vietnamese in Australia. Voyages and travels.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   National Museum of Australia Press Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 876944 45 5
Author	Alan Sunderland
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Refugee: the diary of Ali Ismail, Woomera, 2001-2002
Number of pages	215 pp
First Published	2006 Gosford, NSW by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Biography.Diary.Historical
Reading age	10 to 15
Series	My Australian Story
Awards:
Annotation:
A visit from the Taliban searching for young boys to join their army, and the resulting death of his father as he hides his son, prompts his mother and uncle to raise enough money to send Ali out of the country to safety. Whilst they may have thought Ali was going to Germany, he ends up on a leaking boat bound for Australia. Ali is bright boy, frightened, missing his family and putting his faith in a future in which he can make enough money to sponsor his family to join him. Instead he ends up in Woomera where hope is at a premium. Even though he is given a chance to school in Adelaide he breaks the conditions of his temporary status to see his only friend off at the airport and is sent back to Woomera. There is little hope in this book.
Themes in this book:
Afghanistan. Boys. Detention centres. Escapes. Ethics. Fear. Refugees. Voyages and travels.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Scholastic Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   1 86504 919 0
Author	Lisa Vasil
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Just an Ordinary Kid
Number of pages	117 pp
First Published	1987 Wellington, NZ by Mallinson Rendel
Book Type1	Young novel
Genre	Realistic.
Reading age	10 to 15
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Carol Raptis is a lively teenager from Taihape who rejects the idea that the disabled are so hard done by…and that life must be terrible for them. She has cerebral palsy and is a hemiplegic (with paralysis down one side). This novel tells her story of a year in which she sought to be an ordinary kid and how one day I found out just how ordinary I was.” The year of Carol’s account begins when she breaks her arm and is transferred to the Correspondence School, doing her lessons by mail. At the same time her leg needs a complicated strengthening operation, and there is a witty account of the uncertainties and indignities of surgery and hospital life. The author’s keen sense of humour prevents any self-pity but this is a moving account of a teenager’s fortitude. The barriers (both physical and mental) that a person in a wheelchair encounters are well described. There is also a warm portrait of her family, both in New Zealand and in Greece. Carol’s growing interest in writing is another key aspect of the novel. Her efforts at writing a novel are interesting; she tries romance, detective and mystery (with hilarious extracts) before realising that her first book should be about her struggle to be an ordinary kid in an ordinary world.” The author, Lisa Vasil, created a sensation when she wrote this witty novel at the age of 13. She has since established herself as a deservedly popular author for young people. Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Disability-physical. Greece. Greeks in New Zealand. Manawatu-Wanganui region, NZ.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Puffin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 032740 1
Author	Jane Vejjajiva
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	The Happiness of Kati
Number of pages	120 pp
First Published	2006 St Leonards, NSW by Allen & Unwin
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Family
Reading age	9 to 13
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Translated from Thai this is the story of Kati, a nine-year-old girl living with her grandparents in a Thai village, enjoying life but always wondering where her mother is and what she is doing. Her grandmother is always on the edge of anger; her grandfather a constant support. Then comes the day when a car arrives and the three of them travel to where her mother lies dying of an incurable disease. It is a time of great sadness and it is followed, after her mother's death, by Kati travelling to the city with her mother's oldest friends where she is presented with 'treasures' her mother has gathered for her—mementos of her and Kati's lives that emphasis the depth of her love for Kati and explain why she had to send her only child away to be cared for by her grandparents.
Themes in this book:
Cerebral palsy. Death. Decision making. Friendship. Grandparents. Grief. Joy and sorrow. Lifestyles, Comparative. Love. Mothers. Thailand.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Allen & Unwin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 74114 753 0
Author	Josef Vondra
Illustrator	Unillustrated
Title, subtitle	No-name Bird
Number of pages	183 pp
First Published	2000 Ringwood, Vic by Penguin Books Australia
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Historical. War.
Reading age	11 to 18
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Although setting is the lead up to the 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor, this novel also looks back to World War II and forward to the guerilla war for independence that preceded today’s situation. Told from the viewpoint of fourteen years old Jose whose hard-working mother is pushing to get him sent to Portugal but who is distraught at the prospect of leaving his mother, uncle and rooster. This is also about a loving relationship between nephew and uncle, bullying, courage and the organisation and spectacle of cock fighting. For young Australians to read as background to present-day events.
Themes in this book:
Animal-human relationships. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Boys. Colonisation. East Timor. Indonesia. Violence and non-violence.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Puffin Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 14 028317 X
Author	Gloria Whelan
Illustrator
Title, subtitle	Chu Ju's House
Number of pages	227 pp
First Published	2004 New York by HarperCollins
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Adventure.Family
Reading age	10 to 14
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Under China's two-child policy, Chu Ju's waspish grandmother argues that it is best the second girl child born to her son and daughter-in-law be sold to an orphanage leaving the family the possibility of a son in her next pregnancy. Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju has the care of her sister until she is of an age when a decision must be made and the thought of her being sold is unthinkable. In an act of love, Chu Ju runs away thereby reducing the family to one child again. Hopefully her mother can now bring a boy into the world. Chu Ju's flight is one of loneliness and hardship. She is prey to the unscrupulous (though she fortunately doesn't meet too many of those), and those who insist on her returning home. After time on a fishing boat and as a slave-worker in a silk producing farm, Chu Ju ends up at a small farm. It is her saving. The farm is owned by an old woman who will not leave her land, and her son who wants only to escape it: Chu Ju is his answer; he can leave knowing his mother will be cared for. Gradually she learns to farm, forms a loving relationship with the old woman and a friendship with the young boy on the farm above who is a thinker and a experimenter with new methods of farming. It makes for a compelling story, exotic in setting and culture.
Themes in this book:
China. Community life. Family relations. Farms and farming. Girls. Lifestyles, Comparative. Voyages and travels.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Harper Trophy Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   0 06 050726 8
Author	Trudy White
Illustrator	Trudy White
Title, subtitle	Japan Diary
Number of pages	138 pp
First Published	2005 Carlton South, Vic by Curriculum Corporation
Book Type1	Novel
Genre	Diary
Reading age	9 to 13
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
A reversible book with two diaries—one 'Dragon Boy, Hero! by a Japanese boy, Taro, visiting Australia and the other 'My Double summer' by an Australian girl, Amelia, visiting Japan. They exchange families and schools. Both are full of their struggles to manage in unfamiliar cultures and reveal, often humorously, the differences in habits. For example Taro is hugely embarrassed when his host parents kiss in public! The diaries are decorated with sketches and phrases in Japanese. A very attractive book.
Themes in this book:
Australia. Children. Errors. Japan. Japanese in Australia. Lifestyles, Comparative. Social life and customs. Visiting.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Curriculum Corporation Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 86366 594 3
Author	Scott Willis
Illustrator	Jenna Packer
Title, subtitle	Enough is Enough!
Number of pages	32 pp
First Published	2003 Sydney, NSW by Scholastic Press
Book Type1	Illustrated story
Book Type2	Picture book
Genre	Animal story.
Reading age	6 to 10
Series
Awards:
2004 Shortlist - NZ Post Children's Book Awards (Picture Book)
Annotation:
Henry and Zoe have moved to a new country, and Henry takes Balthus shopping on his scooter. Henry doesn’t speak the language although Balthus has no problems. The food in the market is different to what Henry is used to and he finds himself buying large amounts of exotic fish, vegetables, olives, pasta, cheese and bread. Henry catches the enthusiasm of the shopkeepers. When he returns to his apartment building, he falls over and spills his food. His cosmopolitan neighbours all come out and help carry the food upstairs, where Henry and Zoe share their superb meal with everyone. Jenna Packer’s delightful coloured pen and wash illustrations create a cheerfully cosmopolitan town, not unlike Uzès in France. Balthus and an amazing number of other cats conduct their own adventures in understanding within the double-page illustrations. Trevor Agnew
Themes in this book:
Cats. Eating. Food. France. Friendship. Sharing. Shops and shopping.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Scholastic Press Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   1 86504 576 4 Publisher:   Scholastic Press Binding:   Paper back ISBN:   1 86504 577 2
Author	Barbara Ker Wilson
Illustrator	Frané Lessac
Title, subtitle	The Day of the Elephant
Number of pages	32 pp
First Published	2005 Pymble, NSW by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Book Type1	Picture book
Genre	Animal story.Historical
Reading age	5 to 13
Series
Awards:
Annotation:
Inspired by reports of rescues of people by elephants after the 2004 tsunami, Wilson and Lessac have created this picture book to acknowledge the abilities of elephants and 'to celebrate the extraordinary sixth sense of animals'. This tells the story of a visit by an elephant, Mae Jabu, and her mahout to ten years old Solada's village on the coast of southern Thailand. Solada and the other children are very excited but Dang Kiet, Mae's mahout, notices that the elephant is unhappy. Instead of dancing for the children she screams a warning when the gaint tsunami wave is sighted, collects the smaller children and heads for higher ground. The children are saved, but some readers may ask what has happened to the other villages, so obviously below the safe hill which juts above the water. Lessac's illustrations feature vibrant colour and patterns in a naive style which mutes the horrors of the tragedy. An attractive book about a recent event many children will remember.
Themes in this book:
Animals-habits and behaviour. Elephants. Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004. Rescues. Thailand. Working animals.
Recent Edition Information:
Publisher:   Angus & Robertson Binding:   Hard back ISBN:   0 207 20055 6